Little girl remains brave despite her worsening condition

For the best part of 12 years, life has been challenging for the Oberholster family. Their daughter, Nalienke “Lienki” Oberholster, has been extremely ill since birth. Little did the family know just how demanding Lienki’s condition would turn out to be.

Natasha Oberholster, Lienki’s mother, says people commend her for always putting on a brave face, despite her circumstances. “When people see me, they say I always have a smile on my face, but it isn’t easy.”

From birth, Nalienke would sometimes stop breathing, had reflux and was constantly ill with an upper respiratory infection, asthma, pneumonia, flu or cold, and stomach and leg pain. She was diagnosed with bronchial asthma at just six months.
Years passed and Lienki was not getting better. Instead, in 2017, she developed a fever and frequently complained of severe stomach pain. After several blood tests, Lienki was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, IBS and juvenile arthritis and anchylosing spondylitis. The doctors also discovered that she had very low immunity.

Due to her worsening condition, Lienki was constantly hungry but struggled to eat. Battling to gain weight, she was often in and out of the hospital.
After multiple diagnoses, Lienki’s system is so low that even the slightest cold or flu lands her in the hospital again. Due to her condition, the 12-year-old cannot go back to school because she picks up germs so quickly. She has to be home-schooled.

Natasha says some days, she feels like locking herself in the bathroom to have a good cry, but she always has to be brave because her daughter has proven to be very strong. “If only I were sick and she lived a normal life instead,” the mom lamented.

After 10 years of single-handedly trying to cover all Lienki’s medical bills, the family had no choice but to ask for help by creating a Facebook page, “Help Lienki”, in 2020. “I felt like I was failing my child by not being able to cover all the costs to ensure she had a healthier life, but the bills kept piling up,” Natasha said.

Natasha says Lienki has shown slight improvement since the beginning of this year. She can only pray that it will be better from here. However, the 12-year-old needs to be on medication for the rest of her life to survive.
When things get extremely tough, she leans on her husband, who works abroad, and her parents, who always offer their support.

“A very big thank you to each person who has contributed so far; every single cent counts,” she concluded.
To hear more about Lienki’s story, contact Natasha on 082 466 3634.

Bank details: Help Lady NPC
Bank type: Nedbank Current Account
Account no: 1202054811
Branch code: 198765.